Container with outer portion movable for opening and closing cover flaps



Dec. 17, 1968 MICHIKO NAKAYAMA 3,416,718

CONTAINER WITH OUTER PORTION MOVABLE FOR OPENING AND CLOSING COVER FLAPS Filed Jan. 25, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.

INVENTOR CH/KO NAKA YAMA ATTORNEZ? 17. 1968 MICHIKO NAKAYAMA 3,

CONTAINER WITH OUTER PORTION MOVABLE FOR OPENING AND I CLOS ING COVER FLAPS 3 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Jan. 25. 1967 IN VENTOR 4/64/10 #4164 YA MA BY -7z /%M& M

ATTORNEYS D 7. 1968 MICHIKO NAKAYAMA 3,416,718

CONTAINER WITH OUTER PORTION MOVABLE FOR OPENING AND CLOSING COVER FLAPS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 25, 1967 INVENTOR M KO #4 0174!!! ATTORNEY;

United States Patent Claims. 01. 229-16) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The details of construction of a container and a blank from which the container may be formed are described herein. The complete container may be cut from a single blank of material such as cardboard, paperboard, plastic and the like. The blank includes four wall-forming side panels which are hingedly connected together and which include bottom flap portions which may be juxtaposed to form a bottom wall. The side panels carry intermediate sidewall panels which are hingedly connected to narrow tips of each of the interior side panels and which are adapted to overlie a portion of the exterior of the interior side wall panels when the container is erected. Outer side wall panels are hingedly connected to the intermediate side Wall panels and they may be folded upwardly from the bottom of these panels to form an exterior wall of the container. Each outer side wall panel carries a closure flap which may be folded downwardly from the outer side wall panel to form a closure of the container.

A feature of the inventive container construction is that an exterior cap portion is formed by the exterior side wall panels and the intermediate side wall panels and which is hingedly connected to the main body portion formed by the interior side panels by means of a hinge flap formed by the intermediate side panels. When the container is formed, the outer cap portion may be moved in a telescopic fashion relative to the main body portion. The intermediate side panels include a securing flap portion or tongue which is adhesively secured to the closure panel adjacent its inner end so that when the outer cap portion is moved relative to the main body portion, the closure panels are opened and closed because of the displacement of the intermediate side wall panels and the exterior side Wall panels relative to the interior side panels.

Brief summary of the invention The present invention relates in general to container construction and particularly to a new and useful container having an exterior formation which may be moved relative to the main body for the purpose of closing and opening closure flaps of the container.

The present invention is particularly applicable for use in the packaging of relatively small-sized articles such as canned goods, jars, bottles and the like. When it is desired to open a container of this nature, the top closure of the box is opened by unfolding the various flaps which form the top closure. This operation is usually troublesome and time consuming. In addition, once the container closure flaps are opened, it is diflicult to close them in a manner so that they will be maintained in a closed condition.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided an improved box or container which includes a main body formed by a plurality of hingedly interconnected interior panels or walls and an outer cap portion which encloses the main body and which is connected to the main body by means of an intermediate wall member disposed between the inner and outer portion which is hingedly connected to the upper end of the panels form- 3,416,718 Patented Dec. 17, 1968 ing the interior walls. In addition, the closure flaps which are carried by the exterior cap portion are adhesively secured to the intermediate walls adjacent their connection to the top of the walls forming the interior or main body portions. The construction is such that the outer cap portion may be moved relatively to the main body portion in a telescopic fashion, and when this occurs, the closure flaps which are connected to the intermediate wall members will be moved correspondingly. The sizing and arrangement is such that the closure flaps will be opened when the cap body is moved downwardly relative to the main body. The closure flaps will be closed when the outer cap portion is moved upwardly relatively to the main body. Thus, the position of the outer cap portion relative to the main body determines whether the flaps will be closed or opened.

A blank for forming the container of the invention may be a single sheet of a material such as cardboard, paperboard, plastic or the like.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved container with an outer closure portion or sleeve which is movable relative to a main body for the purpose of opening and closing the top wall closure flaps.

A further object of the invention is to provide a blank for forming a container having a plurality of interior wall-forming panels which are hingedly connected at their tops to intermediate wall-forming panels which in turn are hingedly connected at their bottoms to outer wall-forming panels, the outer wall-forming panels having closure flap elements which may be folded downwardly to form a top closure and the interior wall panels having bottom wall-forming flaps which may be folded into juxtaposition for forming a bottom for the container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages andspecific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrate-d and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of the drawings In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank from which a container constructed in accordance with the invention is manufactured;

FIG. 2 is a front side perspective view of a container constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but with the box shown in an open condition; and

FIG. 5 is a section taken along the line 55 of FIG. 4.

Detailed description Referring to the drawings in particular, the invention embodied therein as indicated in FIG. 1 comprises a single box of paperboard, fiberboard or the like which includes side or interior panels 1, 1', 1" and 1" which form the interior or body portion of the container. The panels 1, 1', 1" and 1 are defined by vertical score lines 10, 11, 12 and 13. The score line 13 separates the panel 1" from the tongue or securing flap 14. Bottom folding flaps 3, 5 and 9 are hingedly connected to the side panels 1, 1 and 1" by score lines 2, 4 and 8, respectively. The bottom forming flap 5 is separated from a tongue or bottom securing flap 7 by means of a score line 6. p

Each of the side wall panels 1, 1', 1 and 1' are formed with converging sides at their upper ends and they are hingedly connected at such upper ends to intermediate wall panels 19, 20, 21 and 22 and are foldable in respect thereto about score lines 15, 16, 17 and 18, respectively. Each intermediate side panel 19, 20, 21 and 22 is connected to a respective outer or exterior side panel 27, 28, 29 and 30 by respective hinge lines or score lines 23, 24, 25 and 26. While the intermediate side wall panels 19 to 22 are separated from each other, the exterior side wall panels 27 to 30 are connected to one another along respective score lines 46, 47 and 48. Each of the intermediate side wall panels 19 to 22 is formed with a pair of notches 31 at the corners thereof which are remote from the interior side wall panels. The notches facilitate the erection of the container.

The exterior wall-forming panels 27 to 30 form the exterior or cap portion of the box which is assembled around the rectangular ,box formed by the interior walls 1, 1, 1" and 1" with the intermediate wall panels 19 to 22 being located between these two in the erected container. The exterior side panel 30 is provided with a joint tongue or securing flap 33 which is demarcated from the side panel by a score line 32. Connected to the upper ends of the exterior panels 27 to 30 are top cover flaps 38, 39, 40 and 41, respectively, which are demarcated from their associated panels by score lines 34, 35, 36 and 37, respectively. As indicated in FIG. 1, the closure flaps 38 to 41 may be of any configuration, such as circular, elliptical, trapezoidal, and preferably are of a tapered shape.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 in particular, the container of the invention is formed from the blank indicated in FIG. 1 by first folding the intermediate wall panels 19 to 22 rearwardly or backwardly from the plane of the drawing about respective score lines 15, 16, 17 and 18 until the rear or back surfaces of these panels contact the rear or back surfaces of the front wall forming panels 1, 1, 1" and 1", respectively. The intermediate side panels 27 to 30 which will form one of the elements of the outer or cap portion of the container generally designated are folded in a reverse manner, that is inwardly from the plane of the drawing, about the score lines 23, 24, 25 and 26, until the front surfaces indicated in FIG. 1 of these panels contact the front surfaces of the panels 19, 20, 21 and 22. The vertical dimensions of the panels 1, 1', 1" and 1" as well as the intermediate panels 19 to 22 and the exterior wall-forming panels 27 to 30 are so selected that in the folded position the upper end portions of the panels forming the interior walls, that is the panels 1, 1, 1" and 1", as well as the lower tab portions designated 42, 43,

44 and 45 of the intermediate wall panels 19 to 22, will extend upwardly beyond the score lines 34, 35, 36 and 37 by a predetermined distance for the purpose to be described hereinafter. Thereafter, the exterior wall panels 27 to 30, as well as the interior wall panels 1, 1', 1 and 1", are folded along their separating score lines into a rectangular container outline to form an interior tube-like body I and an exterior surrounding tube-like body 0 which is telescopic in respect thereto. Care must be taken that the cap portion with the exterior wall-forming portions 27 to 30 are positioned outside the intermediate wallforming portions 19 to 22. The tongues 14 and 33 are adhesively secured to the free side portions of the panels 1 and 27, respectively, to thereby complete the cap portion or outer portion 0 and the main body portion or interior portion I of the container or box.

A feature of the construction is that the tab portions 42, 43, 44 and 45 are secured over their entire areas to the inner ends of the top cover flaps 38, 39, 40 and 41, respectively. The bottom of the box is formed by folding the bottom closure forming flaps 3, and 9 inwardly about their respective score lines 2, 4 and 8, and the tongue 7 is folded along its score line 6 and adhered to the lower end portion of the side panel 1.

Thus, the container may be completely closed, as in- 1 dicated in FIG. 2, in which the outer portion 0 is oriented 4 in respect to the inner portion I such that the closure flaps 38, 39, and 41 will be disposed substantially flat or in a closed position. When it is desired to open the box, the outer portion 0 is moved downwardly relative to the inner portion 1 to move the closure flaps 38 to 41 in the direction of the arrow A indicated in FIG. 5 in order to position the various parts as indicated in FIG. 4. Thedownward movement of the outer part 0 causes the opening of the closure flaps 38 to 41 and the bending of the upper ends of the interior wall-forming panels 1, 1, 1" and 1". This occurs because the closure flaps are connected through the tabs 42 to to the respective intermediate wall portions 27 to 30 and the exterior walls 27 to 30 also carry the closure fiaps 38 to 41. The upward movement of the outer portion 0 in respect to the inner portion I will produce the closing of the flaps 38 to 41 by moving them in the direction indicated by the arrow B indicated in FIG. 5. When this occurs, the bent top ends of the side panel portions 1, 1', 1", 1" are returned to the position indicated in FIG. 3, and since these portions are connected to the tabs 42 to 45, respectively, which in turn are connected to the top closure forming flaps 38 to 41, they will cause the closure flaps to be folded backwardly into the closed position indicated in FIG. 2. Thus, the opening as well as the closing of the container may be carried out merely by accomplishing relative movement between the outer portion 0 and the inner portion I of the container. With this construction it is no longer necessary to manipulate each of the flaps between an opened and a closed position. The position of the outer portion 0 in respect to the inner portion I will always determine whether the container is opened or closed.

The manufacture of the container of this invention is very simple and inexpensive to carry out. The box can be constructed from a sheet of blank material such as paperboard, and the like by means of cutting, scoring and punching or other suitable equipment.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A container comprising flexible wall means defining an inner tubular portion, an outer tubular portion telescopically movable over said inner tubular portion, said outer tubular portion having a plurality of closure flaps hingedly connected thereto and being foldable substantially flat to close said container, and an intermediate wall pivotally connected to said inner tubular portion and the inner ends of said closure flaps adjacent the top thereof and pivotally connected to said outer tubular portion adjacent the bottom of said outer tubular portion, said closure flaps being movable downwardly to close said container when said outer tubular portion is moved upwardly in respect to said inner tubular portion, said closure flaps being openable by downward movement of said outer tubular portion relative to said inner tubular portion, said inner tubular portion being formed by four side panels which are hingedly connected together and foldable into a rectangular outline, said intermediate wall being formed by four intermediate wall portions hingedly connected to respective ones of said interior side panels, said outer portion being formed by four separate outer wall members hingedly conected adjacent their lower ends to respective ones of said intermediate panels, said inner wall-forming panels having upper portions which taper inwardly, said intermediate wall comprising four separate intermediate panel members each of which has tapered ends which are connected to the respective tapered ends of said inner sidewall-forming panels.

2. A container comprising flexible wall means defining an inner tubular portion, an outer tubular portion telescopically movable over said inner tubular portion, said outer tubular portion having a plurality of closure flaps hingedly connected thereto and being foldable substantially fiat to close said container, and an intermediate wall pivotally connected to said inner tubular portion and the inner ends of said closure flaps adjacent the top thereof and pivotally connected to said outer tubular portion adjacent the bottom of said outer tubular portion, said closure flaps being movable downwardly to close said container when said outer tubular portion is moved upwardly in respect to said inner tubular portion, said closure flaps being openable by downward movement of said outer tubular portion relative to said inner tubular portion, said flexible wall means defining said inner tubular portion comprising four separate panels integrally formed and hingedly connected together which are folded into a rectangular tubular configuration, said intermediate wall comprising a separate panel member hingedly connected to each of the four panels of said inner tubular portion adjacent the tops of said panels, said intermediate wall portion panels being adhesively secured to respective ones of each of said closure flaps, said outer tubular portion comprising four separate panels each being respectively hingedly connected to the bottoms of said intermediate wall-forming panels and being hingedly connected to each other for folding into an outer rectangular tubular portion, each of said outer panels having a closure flap hingedly connected to the top thereof.

3. A container according to claim 1, including bottom wall-forming panels hingedly connected to said inner tubular portion and being foldable over in juxtaposition to form the bottom wall of said container.

4. A blank for forming a container from a single sheet of a paperboard, fiberboard and similar material comprising four separate interior wall-forming panels each being connected together and being foldable about score lines defined between adjacent panels into a rectangular outline, the upper ends of said interior Wall-forming panels being tapered inwardly, a separate intermediate wallforming panel having an inwardly tapered end hingedly connected to respective ones of each of said first inner wall-forming panels, said intermediate wall-forming panels having wider opposite ends, an exterior wall-forming panel connected to each of said intermediate wall-forming panels at said opposite ends and being pivotal in respect thereto about score lines defined there'between, each of said exterior wall-forming panels being hinged together and being separated by score lines, and a closure flap carried by at least two of said exterior wall-forming panels on an end thereof opposite from said intermediate wallforming panel.

5. A blank according to claim 4, including a bottom wall-forming flap hingedly connected to at least three of said inner wall-forming flaps so that at least one of said flaps is of a size somewhat greater than the other two to form the exterior wall of the bottom of the container.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,329,346 7/1967 Keith 22943 FOREIGN PATENTS 386,577 1/1933 Great Britain.

DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner.

U.S.Cl.X.R. 229-43, 8 

